Phillip Danault trade: “The Habs held their ground and didn’t give up an active player.”

Félix Forget
Phillip Danault trade: “The Habs held their ground and didn’t give up an active player.”
Credit: Getty Images

Last Friday, the Canadiens acquired Phillip Danault in a deal with the Kings. And while it was expected to cost an active player, the Habs only had to give away a second-round pick.

The name of Jake Evans, for example, had been floating around… but in the end, he's still with the Habs.

What is clear, however, is that the Kings really tried to get a player. And Frank Seravalli, speaking on Oilers Now, talked about Danault… and noted that the Kings really tried hard to avoid receiving just one pick in return.

Except that the Habs didn't want anything to do with giving up a player, and they stuck to their guns. And in the end, it paid off: they only had to give away one pick to get Danault.

Kent Hughes did the Kent Hughes thing: he gave his price and held the line.

Interestingly, Seravalli mentions that the Kings talked to the Habs about several different players. It's safe to assume that the Kings went for the big one by asking for Oliver Kapanen (which the Habs probably quickly rejected), but it's questionable whether Owen Beck's name also came up.

And if so, that would mean that the Canadiens would have preferred to give a choice over Beck. He's been playing some good hockey lately: maybe that's why the club didn't want to let him go (assuming he was part of the talks, of course).

What is clear, though, is that Kent Hughes still managed to get what he wanted while maintaining a hard line. He's often done it by negotiating contracts (think Jake Evans, for example), but this time he did it via a transaction.

Yes, the club is methodical and thoughtful in its approach.


Overtime

– I'm going with a 3-2 Montreal win. How about you?

– A name to watch.

– Logical.

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